Entertainment
'Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens in 'The Guest' & 7 More Celebrities Who Successfully Broke Their Typecast
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On Friday, Downton Abbey 's Dan Stevens stars in the dark comedy thriller, The Guest. The film centers around David, a soldier who's come to help mend the family of a soldier who died in action along side him. But his comforting actions quickly escalate to mysterious violence.
The role is a huge departure for Stevens, who, even though he left the show two seasons ago, is known mainly as playing the ill-fated Matthew Crawley on PBS' uber-successful Downton Abbey. Even to this day, the actor gets accosted by angry fans for his abrupt exit. But Stevens' has taken it in stride, as The Guest is not only a hilarious and intelligent thriller, but will make you think of the Ex-Crawley in an entirely new light: With a sexy Southern drawl and a six pack.
To celebrate Stevens' successful emergence out of what could of been a life-long typecast, here's 7 other actors who have broken their own typecast.
John Travolta
When Danny Zuko hit the scene in his tight Levi jeans and his even tighter black tee, audiences swooned and sang along to “Summer Nights” with John Travolta at the helm. No one thought the star hitman of Quentin Tarantino’s most noteworthy blockbuster would be the musical crooner.
Matthew McConaughey
With his somber roles in Mud and True Detective (plus an Oscar to boot), no one bats an eyelash about the believability of Matthew McConaughey as a serious actor. But this didn’t used to always be the case. Remember his roles in Fool’s Gold and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days?
Steve Carell
2007’s Dan in Real Life showed that the Office star had a serious side, and he’s been showing that portion of his talents off ever since. He played the ultimate douche-bag dad in The Way, Way Back and later this year he’ll take on the role of a cruel sponsor to an Olympic wrestler.
Amy Adams
Remember when Amy Adams was in that Cruel Intentions sequel? Me neither, but she was, proving she wasn’t always the Academy Award nominee she is today. There was a time when most people knew Adams for her signing and dancing, rolled-in-glitter role in Enchanted, but she soon proved her serious acting chops by playing a hard-headed bartender in The Fighter.
Dwanye "The Rock" Johnson
This one really needs no explanation when we recall The Rock portraying the Tooth Fairy in the 2010 family flick where his uniform consisted of a light-blue onesie.
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill, who was up for an Oscar for The Wolf of Wall Street, used to only be known for his raunchy one-liners in movies like Superbad. But in 2011’s Moneyball, he showcased his dramatic acting chops, playing the level-headed assistant general manager of the Oakland Athletics.
Anne Hathaway
The actress traded in tiaras for topless scenes when she signed on for Brokeback Mountain, leaving behind her squeaky-clean Disney image for good.
